Stef Smits is a senior programme officer and Co-director of IRC's Growth Hub. He has 20 years of professional experience in water supply and sanitation in over 25 countries in Europe, Latin America, Southern Africa, and South Asia. His main thematic expertise includes: institutional models for water supply, sustainability and enabling environment, monitoring, costing and financing of services and integrated water resources management.
Stef has led numerous projects on these topics, and published about them. In addition, he has ample management expertise: from consultancy assignments to multi-annual programmes, and units within an organisation. He has worked for a range of clients including bilateral donors, development banks, research funders and NGOs. Stef holds an MSc degree in Irrigation and Water Engineering from Wageningen University, The Netherlands.
Successful pathways secured uptake by government and had flexible programming. Read more...
More emphasis is needed on building and strengthening the work of multi-stakeholder platforms in WASH at the national level. Read more...
Self-supply's contribution to urban and rural water provision world-wide, and the gains of government support. Read more...
This paper presents the journeys that Agenda for Change members have gone through in progressively embracing systems strengthening approaches in... Read more...
Policy recommendations are given for five building blocks: institutional capacity, financing, asset management, water resources management, and... Read more...
The water sector in South Africa should focus more on the needs of HIV positive individuals and strengthen multi-sectoral initiatives. Read more...
Even in the worst case scenario, the benefits of mutliple use water services outweigh the costs at both household and system levels Read more...
Pour changer les systèmes, il faut un «Conteur, un Expert et un Homme Politique». Histoires d'acteurs du changement au Malawi, au Honduras, en... Read more...
Para cambiar los sistemas se necesita un "narrador de historias, un experto y un político". Historias de agentes de cambio en Malawi, Honduras,... Read more...
It takes a 'Story Teller, an Expert, and a Politician' to make systems change happen. Stories from change makers in Malawi, Honduras, Uganda,... Read more...
This study confirms the high relevance of payment modalities that reduce the barrier of the upfront payment to get access to a water supply service... Read more...
Drawing from 10 years of experience, Insights into the various perspectives of partners, the different types of partnerships and the partnering... Read more...
Multi-stakeholder engagement is critical for making progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 'Ensure access to water and sanitation for... Read more...
Recording of a webinar on lessons learned after nearly four years of intensive research on the use of collective action in WASH by the USAID-... Read more...
Using systems thinking principles, this report explores how on-site sanitation services can be improved in Lusaka, Zambia, and Maputo, Mozambique. Read more...
This paper highlights efforts in using one-off surveys to inform WASH plans to help to kick-start recurrent monitoring and management processes in... Read more...
Capital expenditure efficiency (CEE) can result in capital savings of 25 percent or more compared to traditional solutions. Read more...
While household toilets are necessary, they alone are not sufficient for improved sanitation. Read more...
Strengthening and clarifying the capacity of local government institutions is critical to the success of SDG6 (Water) and contributes to SDG16 (... Read more...